Electric motor controller



July 24, 1951 J. BUNYAN ELECTRIC MOTOR CONTROLLER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 22, 1947 Inventor July 24, 1951 J. BUNYAN 2,561,732

ELECTRIC MOTOR CONTROLLER Filed April 22, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 J Bunyan July 24, 1951 J. BUNYAN ELECTRIC MOTOR CONTROLLER 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 22, 1947 IDWUG 'MVUO Z'IBOOV lnven for J Bunyan a y Affor ey July 24, 1951 J. BUNYAN v2,561,782

ELECTRIC MOTOR CONTROLLER Filed April 22, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I PMF I/wen for:

:7. fiupyan Patented July 24, 1951 UNITED STATES 2,561,782 PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC MOTOR CONTROLLER John. Bunyan, Brighton, England, as'signor' to This invention: relates to electric. motor. con

trol systems: and refers particularly. but not exclusively, to control systems for the motorseof electric vehicles.

The object of the invent-ion v is thezprovision of improvements in such systems;and theiirvention comprises the arrangement that accelerating resistance isadapted to be cutout of the armaturecircuit at-a rate which. is a function jointly of the setting of a mastencontroller: and: ofthe current in said armature circuit In: this way substantially constant-current accelerationmay be obtained at a current which depends-upon the setting of thesaidmastercontroller. 1

The invention further comprises the arrangement that braking resistanceis.adaptedto'be cutout of a rheostatic braking circuitatarate which is asfunctionv jointly of the setting; on a master controller andof'the current in saidbrab ing circuit. In this waysubstantiallygconstant current rheostaticbraking may be obtainediat a current which depends upon-the setting of :said master controller.

In order that the invention may; the the more clearly-understood a control system inlaccordfance-therewith for the motors oratram :ca-rjrwill now be'described, reference beingtmade to the accompanying: drawings, wherein:

Figures la, 1b and lcare diagrams illustrating the circuits. of said control system ,..Eigure la being one. end section of the system Figuret'lb being the intermediate section and: Figure being the opposite endsection;

Figure2 is a somewhat schematicparmperaeffected by, progressively cutting out, froma rheo-v static braking circuit, first the resistancesections RI 4,. RI 5 and thenv the resistance sections Rfl RQ. The cutting, out ofsaid resistance. sections-R1,

R8 for accelerating is. effected by, rotatingin a.

clockwise direction a bridging contact CI for sald'resis'tance sections: Thecutti'ng font of said resistancesectionsRI 1; RI 5 andRTIRBforibrak ing is effected" by rotating" the sa'rn'e bridging contact 0 I 4 in a counterclockwise direction.

The rotation of the contact *0 I botl'rforaccel crating andbrak'ing "is effected bym'eans "of h-pllbt motor PMA; and said "pilot motoris energised according-to the'p'osition of contcts' C-i, C3 01: peter!tiom'etenresistancesIt; RiIIll Theposition of said contacts C2, G3 on said resistances R9, RIB is determined both by the position of the drivers master control lever I and by. the armature current of the motors. Thus said control lever I has an off position, a range of accelerating positions on one side of the off position and a range of braking positions on the other side of the oii position. When saidlever I is moved to any accelerating position theldriving connections for the motors are established andthe potentiometer resistances R9-,--RII) are. energised. so that the pilot motor PMA= drives; the contact Cl clockwise for cuttingtheresistance sections R7, R8 out of the armature circuit and accelerating the motorsas atorestated. During this stage the contactsC2, G3 take-up a position, and therefore the pilot motor-'PMA-and the-contactCI operate at a speed, which dependson the balance. of the opposed forces exerted by a spring 2 and a solenoid S, the spring beingrstressed accordingto the position of the lever I sothat its stress is greater the further advanced is the accelerating position of the lever I, and-the solenoid beingenergisedaccording to the armature current so that its force in opposition to the spring is greater, the greater issaidarmature driving current. Consequently, asxwil-l be-moreparticularly described hereinafter, for any accelerating position of the lever I, the contacts: C2,. C3, and therefore the pilot motor PMA and the contact CI, will be so controlled that the motors will accelerate under approximatelyconstant,- current conditions, the current being; the greater,,the further advanced is the lever I in the accelerating direction.

When said lever I is moved to any braking position the-rheostatic braking connections for the motorare established and the-potentiometer resistances RMRIitare energised so that the pilot motorPMA drives the-contact CI counterclockwise for cutting theresistance sections R14, RI 5, R1, R8 outof the'd-ynamic braking circuit and retarding themotors. As in the accelerating stage, .the contacts C2, C3 during this braking stage'--take up a position and therefore the pilot motor: PMA- and the contact CI operate at a speed; which depends on thebalance of the forces exerted by the-spring 2 and solenoid S, the spring stress being the greater, the further advancedis the braking position of the'lever I, and the. solenoidtforce beingthe greater, the greater is the armature braking current. Therefore for any braking position of the lever I the contact CI will be so controlled thatthe motors will decelerate under approximately constant current rheostatic brakingcon'dition's, the braking current beingjthe'greatenthe further advanced is the lever I inthe braking direction.

Betweenthe o position and the acceleration positions of theleverl thereis a crawl posiof acceleration is low and that the motors will never accelerate beyond the speed determined by the retention of resistances RI and R2 in. circuit tion from an accelerating position circuit conditions are established which are in general'the same as at the braking positions, but the arrangement is such that the rateof retardation is negligible so that the motors will continue to coast.

Describing now with reference to Figure 2 the mechanical correlation between the lever I, the core of the solenoid S and the contacts C2, C3, said lever rotates about a pivot point 3 and is rigid with a toothed quadrant 4. Said quadrant in mesh with a pinion 5 which is fast on arotatable shaft 6 which has a cam i rigidly mounted on it. The cam surface of said cam I engages a roller 8 mounted on one end of a rod 9 whose other end telescopes in one end of a coaxial rod II] which bears in a bearing I I. i The two rods 9 and Ill are biased axially away from each other by means of the spring 2 which is a coil spring and is in compression between flanges I2 and I3 which are rigid on said two rods respectively. The far end of said rod II] is in compression and is pivotally connected to the end of an arm I4 which is fast on a short rotatable shaft I5. A toothed quadrant I6 is also fast on said shaft I5, and said quadrant is in mesh with a pinion I! which rotates about a fixed axis and is rigid with an arm IB which intersects said axis, and said arm at its two ends carries the contacts C2, 03. As the pinion I1, and therefore the arm I8, rotates, the contacts C2, C3 move over the potentiometer resistances R9, RII). As Will be clear from the drawing, said contacts C2, C3 are permanently connected to the terminals of the pilot motor armature PMA through arcuate contacts C4, C5 along which said contacts-C2, C3 move.

Another arm I9 is fast on the shaft I5 and this arm I9 is connected to the core 20 of the aforesaid solenoid S.

It will. be observed that a thrust is transmitted from the cam surface, through the roller 8, the rod 9, the spring 2 and the rod II) to the arm I4, and this thrust tends to rotate the shaft I5 and quadrant IS in such a direction as to bring the arm I8 to the position illustrated, at which position the pilot motor has substantially the maximum potential applied to its terminals. The cam "I is so formed that when the arm I is at the off position the roller is pressed least far in the direction towards the arm I4 and the spring 2 tends to be least compressed, and the further said lever I is moved from the off position in either the accelerating or the braking direction, the further will said roller 8 be pressed towards said arm I4, and the more will the spring 2 tend to be compressed.

On the other hand when the solenoid S is energised, the core 20 pulls the arm I9 so as to tend to rotate the shaft I5 and quadrant IS in the direction to bring the arm I8 away from the position illlustrated. When the lever I is at the off position with the motors at rest, the solenoid S will be tie-energised, and even the weak compression of the spring 2 at this position of the lever is therefore suflicient to move the con tacts to the position illustrated. At the crawl When the lever is returned to the o posii' iind aii celerating" positions of the lever I, and also at "the oii and brake positions when the motors are running, the solenoid S will be energised in accordance with the armature current, and thecontacts .02, C3 will, as heretofore stated, take up a position which depends on the balance of I the forces exerted by the spring 2 and solenoid S." The potentiometer resistances R9, RIO will also be energised and therefore the pilot motor PMA will drive the contact CI at a speed depending onthe armature current and the setting of the lever. I. All this will be more particularly described hereinafter.

The shaft 6 also carries a drum 2| which controls a number of contacts MI to MI I. The contacts, which are shown in detail in Figure l, are operated according to the position of the lever -I as follows: M4 and; M6 close at the ofi" posi-- tion of the lever; M9 closes at the off position and also at all the brake positions of the lever; MI,= M5 and MI 0 close at all the accelerating positions of the lever; -M2, M1 and M8 close at all the accelerating positions and also at the crawl position of the lever; MII closes at the furthest advanced accelerating position of the lever, termed the full speed position; M3 closes at all the brake positions of the lever.

Also there is a second drum 22 which controls a plurality of contacts Al to All so that they close according to the position of the accelerating contact Ci. In the course of its travel from the starting position to its position to the extremity or the resistances RIG, RI5, said contact CI has ninety-one positions. Position "1 is the starting position illustrated. Position "70 is the position at the junction of the resistances R1, R8 on the one hand with resistances RM, RI5 on the other. Position 91 is the last position at the extremity of the resistances RH, RI5. Said contacts Al to All are operated according to the position of said contacts C'I as follows: Contact AI is closed at all positions between 3 and 91; contact A2 is closed at all positions between 1 and 70; contact A3 'is closed at all positions betweenfTO and 91; contact A4 is closed at all positions between 1 and 6 and between 88 and 91; contact A5 is closed at all positions between 1 and 4 and between 86 and 9].; contact A6 is closed at all positions between 76 and 91; contact A1 is closed at all positions between 78 and 91; contact AB isclosed at all positions between 1 and 6; contact A9 is closed at all positions between 1" and contact All! is closed at all positions between 1' and '74; contact All is closed at all positions between 1 and "70."

In addition the control gear comprises the following contactors: A line contactor LC having a winding LCW, normally open auxiliary contacts LCAI and LCA2, and normally closed auxiliary contacts LCA3. Resistance controlling contacts RCI and RC2 have respective windings RCIW and RC2W and respective normally open auxiliary contacts RCIA and RC2A. Field diverter contactors FCI, FC2, F03 and FC4 having respective windings FCIW, FCZW, FC3W and FC4W. Braking contactors BCI, BC2 having respective windings BCI W and 302W, the contactor BCI having normal open auxiliary contacts BCIAI and normally closed auxiliary contacts BCIA2, and the contactor B02 having normally open auxiliary contacts BC2AI and BC2A2. Main contactors MCI, MC2 having respective windings MCI W and MC2W, the contactor MCI having normally closed auxiliary contacts MCIAI and game MClA2, and the contactor MC2 having normally closed auxiliary contacts MCZA. An overload contactor O LC having an overload winding OLCW and a hold-on winding OLCI-IW'for holdingjitopem The references R], R2 designate additional armature circuit resistances; the references- R3; R4; R5, Rd-field 1winding diverter resistances; the references Rll, R J2 additional resistancesin circuit with the potentiometer resistances and rethrough normally closed auxiliary contacts i BCIAZ on brakecontactor contacts BC! to the ground. Line contactor LC accordingly closes its contacts.

Circuit is also established from the upper terminal of'battery, through fuse F2, through contacts M8 and M1, through winding MCIW of main contactor MC] and through saidauxiliary contactsBClAlto the ground. Main contactor MC! accordingly closes its contacts.

At thisstage also, owing to the movingv bridging contact CI' of the accelerator being at the startingv position illustrated (i; e. position 1), contacts A4, A5 and A8 are closed, andcircuit is accordingly established, from the upper terminal of battery B- to contact Ml as heretofore olescribed, and thence through contacts A8, and, by two parallel circuits, one through contactsA4 and winding FCdWof contactor F04, and the other through contacts A5 and winding FC3W of contactor FC3,,to the ground. Contactors FC3 andFCl accordingly close. It will ,be seen that themotors areconnec'te'd in series parallel with full resistance in circuit and thatthe fields are weakened by diverter' resistance circuits. Thus the motor circuits may be traced fromoverhead line 23, through trolley arm 24, through overload winding OLCW, line contactorv LC, motor .armatures MAZ, MAI, resistance R], motor field windingsMFl, MFZ, main cI 1- tactor MCI, resistance R1, contact Cl, and resistance R8 to earth. Circuit for theother two motors extends from cont-actor LC, through field indingsMF3' MF4, resistance R2, motor armatures MA4, MA3, main contactor MCI and from there as previously traced through resistances R1 and R8 to earth.

Alsothefleld windings MF2, MFI are weakened by being paralleled by diverter resistance R through contactor FC3, and the field windings MP4; MF3 arewe-akened by being paralled by diverter' resistance R6 through contactor FCAL The four main motors will accordingly start i fl dfi r At the same time a circuit is established energising the solenoid S, said circuit extending from the point g: through said solenoid S, the contacts A2, the contacts M2 to the point 11. This circuit accordingly parallels the field windings MFI, MF2 and the right hand part of the-resistance R-Land the solenoidS is therefore energisedw-ith a current which varies in accordance with the armature current. Since the contact A2 is closed for all'positions ofthe bridging contact Cl from 1? to,,70,- and the contact M2 is closedfor, all Positi'ons"of-"'the contro1,1ever I during starting and accelerating, this energising circuit for the solenoid" will""remain established until the'bridging contact Cl reaches the position '70at'which the contactor MCl is connecteddirectly to earth;

I The; solenoids being thusenergisedexerts a force tending, tornove the potentiometer contacts'C2, CSfaway from the position illustrated. This forcewillbe opposed by the'force exerted by thejspring, 2; but at the first starting or crawl posilliblllOf the lever I, the force exerted by said spring will be very light and the solenoid will prevail" and" the contacts C2, C3 will be moved away from the position illustrated.

' It will be, seen that a potentiometer circuit is established from the upper terminal of the batteryjB, through the-auxiliary contacts LCAI of thejline contactor LC, contacts A! l, A9, thence through two parallel paths, one by way of resistances Rfiand RH and the other by way of resistances R52 and RN to auxiliary contacts LCAZQofi linecontactor LC, and thence to the ground. The pilotmotorarmature is connected directly'between contacts C2 and 03'; resistance Rl3'beil'lg short circuited through contacts AH), and" therefore has a potential difference across its,ter min'als depending on the position of said contacts C2 and C3; At-the position illustrated, andwith the potentiometer circuit as just described, tliisp'otential difference is the maximum in the direction for causing the pilot motor to drive the bridging contact Cl clockwise, that is in the direction for cutting out resistance R1 and R8; from the circuit of the main motors. The solenoids has however, movedsaid contacts C2; C3 away from said position illustrated, to such an extent thatthe pilot motor PMA has only a small potential across its terminals for moving said bridging contactor in the said direction and and thereforethe bridging contactor Cl will move only slowly away from the starting position illustrated; and the resistance in circuit with the main motors will be reduced and said motors will tend to gather speed.

When the bridging contactor CI has reached position lcontactAfi opens, and winding FC3W is de energised and contactor F03 opens, thereby interrupting the diverter circuit for field wind ings MP2, MT'I, When bridging contactor CI has reached position 6, contact A l also opens deenergising winding FC4W and opening contactor RC4, and. thereby de-energising the diverter circuit forfield windings MFS, MF4.

, All fields; are; now at full strength and the resistances -R,l and R2are in the motor circuits. The iorceexerted by the solenoid S will now be sufficienttmkeep the contacts C2 and C3. at, or sufiiciently nearto, the zero potential position, so;,that the, contact Ci will only advance very slowlyland the ,motors will continue to accelerate veryslowly;

When the lever I is now further moved from the crawl position to anywhere within the range ofttheaccelerating positions, the contacts =Ml and Ml0 close. Closure of contacts'Ml effects energisationof winding RCIW of contactor RCI, by way of a circuit-extending from overload winding' OLCW-,through line contactor LC, fuse- Fl, through said contacts MI and said winding RCIW tot ground; contactor- RC1 accordingly closes,

7 thereby cutting out resistance RI from the motor circuit.

Contactor RCI on closing closes its auxiliary contacts RCIA and circuit is accordingly established through contacts MIO, winding RC2W of contactor RC2 and said auxiliary contacts RCIA. Contactor RC2 therefore closes cutting out resistance R2.

Resistances RI and R2 are now out out or the motor circuits and the motors will commence to speed up. Also owing to the increased stress on the spring 2 occasioned by the lever I being moved into the accelerating range, there will be a greater force tending to move the potentiometer contacts C2, C3 in the direction for increasing the potential applied to the pilot motor in the direction for moving the bridging contact CI in the accelerating direction. At the same time, closure of contactor RCI will tend to reduce the energisation of the solenoid S opposing said spring. The bridging contact CI will therefore move in the accelerating direction thereby progressively cutting out resistances R1 and R8 and speeding up the motor.

The situation now is that, so long as the lever I is anywhere within the accelerating range, the bridging contactor CI will, generally speaking, continue to move in the accelerating direction. This is because the spring 2 will, generally speaking, prevail over the solenoid S sumciently to bring the contacts C2 and C3 to a position for driving the pilot motor PMA for moving the bridging contact CI in the accelerating direction. The further said lever I is moved into the accelerating range, the greater will be the force exerted by the spring 2, the further will the contacts C2, C3 tend to be moved in the direction for increasing the forward potential supplied to the pilot motor PMA, and thereby increasing the speed at which the bridging contact moves in the accelerating direction.

On the other hand, the energisation of, and therefore the force exerted by, the solenoid S in opposition to that exerted by the spring 2, will be greater or less according as the armature current of the motors is greater or less, and therefore the greater the armature current the further will the contacts C2, C3 tend to be moved in the direction for reducing the forward potential supplied to the pilot motor and the slower will the accelerating movement of the bridging contact CI tend to be. Thus at all accelerating positions of. the lever I the bridging contact will move in the accelerating direction at a speed which will depend on a balance of the lever setting and the armature current, being greater according as the lever is more advanced and less according as armature current is greater. It is possible, especially when the lever I is set for the lowest rates of acceleration that a rise in armature current, caused say by a hill, might cause the potentiometer contacts C2, C3 to take up a position which would supply the pilot motor PMA will reverse potential so that the contact CI would move temporarily in the decelerating direction, but, in general, for all accelerating positions of the lever I, the contact CI will move in the accelerating direction.

It will be observed that, during this stage the condition is that of acceleration at an armature current which depends on the position of the control lever I, being greater or less according as said lever is further or less far advanced into the accelerating range. Said armature current will be approximately constant for any given setting of the lever I and the-condition will then be that of constant current acceleration.

When the contact CI reaches position 70 (i. e. when all the resistance R1 and R8 is cut out and the main contactor MCI is connected direct to earth), the contact A2 opens and the solenoids is de-energised. The spring 2, now unopposed/accordingly returns the contacts C2 and C3 to the position illustrated where the pilot motor PMA is adapted to be subjected to the maximum forward potential. At the same time, however, the contacts AI I open and therefore, if the lever I, is at other than the full accelerating position,'the supply circuit to the potentiometer windings R9 and RIO will be interrupted and the pilot motor de-energised, so that the contact CI will remain at position 70. If however the lever is at the full accelerating position the contact MI I will be closed short circuiting the contacts All and the pilot motor PMA, under maximum forward poten: tial, will continue to drive the contact CI clockwise according to the drawing. Also, when the contact CI reaches position 70 contact A3 will close and therefore the winding MCZW will be energised in parallel with the winding MCIW and the contactor MC2 will close, thereby completing the motor circuits independently of the contact CI and preventing resistances RI4, RI5 from being introduced into the armature circuit as said contact CI continues to move to the right.

Assuming that the lever I is at the full accelerating position and the contact CI moves still further to the right, when said contact passes position 74, contact AIO opens thereby introducing resistance RI3 into the circuit of the pilot motor PMA and keeping the speed of said pilot motor down to a suitable value.

When the contact CI reaches position I6, contact A6 closes and thereby establishes an energising circuit for the winding FCIW, said circuit extending from the upper terminal of battery B, through contact MIO, contact RC2A (contactor RC2 being closed), said contact AB and said winding FCIW to the ground. Contactor FCI accordingly closes and introduces resistances R5, R3 in series in a diverter circuit in parallel with field windings MFI, MP2. Said field windings are accordingly weakened and the motor speed is increased.

When contact CI reaches position 78, contact Al closes and thereby establishes an energising circuit for winding FCZW, said circuit extending to contact RCZA as previously traced, and thence through contacts Al, M5, and said winding FC2W to the ground. Contactor F02 accordingly closes and introduces resistances R4 and R6 in series in a diverter circuit in parallel with field windings MF3, MF I. Said field windings are accordingly weakened and the motor speed is further increased.

When contact CI reaches position 86 contact A5 closes and an energising circuit for winding FC3W is established in parallel with winding FCIW. Contactor F03 accordingly closes, short circuiting resistance R3 and further weakening the fields MFI, MP2. The motor speed is therefore still further increased.

When contact CI reaches position 88, contact A4 closes and thereby establishes an energising circuit for winding FC4W in parallel with winding FC3W. Contactor F04 accordingly closes, short circuiting resistance R4 and further weakening the fields MF3, MF4 and increasing the motor speed.

The motors are now running at full speed.

ofcontacts M6 at the off position, the winding FCZW remains energised and the contactor FCZ accordingly remains closed, and the diverter resistances RA and R15 areconnected in shunt with the motorfields MP3, MM.

, Also, owing to closure of contacts M9 at the oil position, energising circuits are establithed -for windings BCIW and BCZW. Contactors BC] and ,BC2 accordingly ciose and two dynamic braking circuits are established. One of these dynamic braking circuits extends through the armatures MAI, MAZ and the fields MF3, MP4, said circuit extending from the left hand terminal of the armature MA2 through fields MF3,,MF4, resistance R2, C-ontactor BC2, resistances R8, R15, contact Cl, resistances RM, R1, contactor BCI to theright hand terminal of the armature MAI. The other dynamic braking circuit is established through armatures MA3, MA4 and fields MFI, MF2, said circuit extending from the left hand terminal of armature MA3, through fields MFZ, MFI, resistance RI, contactor BCl, as before through resistances R1, R14, R15, R8 and contactor BC2 to right hand terminal of armature MAG. V

At the same time, owing to closure of auxiliary contacts BC2Al and BC2A2 on the contactor 302, the potentiometer resistances R9, RIO are again connected across the battery B by a circuit extending from the upper terminal of said battery, said contacts BCZAZ, contact Al resistances RID, R12 and RI I, R9 in parallel, and said contacts BCZAI to the ground. g

It will be observed that the resistances R9, RI 0 are now connected across the battery B inthe opposite direction to the previous direction, and therefore the pilot motor will now be driven in the reverse direction. Owing to the closure of normally closed contacts 'MCIAZ 'on contactor MCI, resistance RlS is short circuited.

The lever I being at the off po'sitionfcontact M4 is closed and a circuit for energising the solenoid S is now established rrom point ac, through said solenoid S, normally open contacts BCIAI on contactor BCI, said contact M tto the point s on the resistance RI.

It will now be seen that the spring 2, which, the lever I being at the ofi position, isweakly stressed, will again be opposed by the solenoid, so that, the greater the dynamic braking current, the slower will the pilot motor be driven in. the reverse direction.

The pilot motor will now therefore be driven, at a speed depending inversely on. the dynamic braking current so as to move contact Cl counterclockwise and the resistances, first RM and RIB and then R! and R8 will be progressively out out and the motors will be slowed down.

In other words, as each increase in the dynamic braking current results in a slow-down of the contact Cl and vice versa, the condition is that the motors are being retarded under a substantially constant dynamic braking current. As the solenoid S is connected across the field windings MFI, MF2 plus substantially the whole of the resistance RI the energisation or said solenoid in relation to the dynamic braking current is relatively high, and as, moreover, the stress of the spring 2, the'lever I being at the off position, is weak, the solenoid S will prevail over the spring? for even Weak braking current suff ciently to maintain the contacts C2 and C3 at positions for energising the pilot motor PMA weakly. The counterclockwise movement of the contact CI in the braking direction will therefore tend to be slow, and the approximately constant dynangiic braking current will be weak. This fact together with the fact that, as above described, the motor fieldsMFS, MF4 are shunted by the resistanoesltt, R6, results in the retarding effect being so feeble that the vehicle will substantially coast and will come to rest only very slowly.

I When the contactCl passes position 3 contact A] opens and interrupts the energising circuit of thepotentiometer resistances R9, RM). The pilot motor PMA is accordingly ie-energised but 7 it will rotate by inertia suiliciently far to carry the contact Cl back to position I. At this stage mechanical braking is applied.

If with the motors running, say, at full speed the lever I is returned beyond the off position into the brakingrange, the contactors LC, MCI, MCZ, ncl, RC2, nausea and F04 will drop out as at the off position, and, in addition the contactor FCZ will also drop out as the contact M5 which is closed only at the off position will now be open. Therefore there will be no diverter resistance across any of thejrnotor fields. v ,IAlso, as in the case, of the off position, contacts M5 'willbe closed and therefore the aforedescrihed dynamic braking circuits and the afore-described reverse potentiometer circuits will be established. v

The lever i being, however, in the range of braking position .and not at the off position, contact M3 is closed instead of contact M4, and consequently the solenoid S is connected across the field windings MFI, MFZ only and not the resistance Rl.

Also the-levie'r {being in the range of braking positions thespringz is more stressed than when said lever was at the off position. 7

The fact that there is no diverter resistance across anyof the field windings tends to increase the braking effect. The fact that the solenoid S is connected only across the fieldwindings MM,

MF2 also tends to increase the braking effect, since it involves a stronger braking current being required to provide a givenenergisation of said solenoid for slowing down the pilot motor EMA. The ,fact that the spring 2 is more stressed also tends to increase braking effect since it increases the tendency to speed up the pilot motor PMA. It will thus be seen that, when the lever l is anywhere within the range of braking positions the braking effect exercised by the dynamic braking circuits is much greater than whensaid leveris at the off position.

Also, the further the lever I is mo ved in the braking ,dir'ection heyond the font? position, the

' more will this spring 2 be stressed. and the greater 11 position 3, and thereafter mechanical braking is employed.

Although, as aiorestated the braking effort when the lever l is at the off position is negligible or very small, the contact Cl moves slowly clockwise in such a Way that as soon as the lever is moved to a braking position the correct resistance will be in circuit to give smooth transition.

It will be observed that not only is the same potentiometer employed for driving the pilot motor in opposite directions for accelerating or rheostatic braking, but the same accelerator contact moves over the same armature resistance for accelerating and dynamic braking.

I claim:

1. An electric motor control system, comprising an electric motor, resistance, means for connecting said resistance in a circuit of said motor, a pilot motor for progressively cutting said resistance out of said circuit, a floating control element movable throughout a given range, means whereby the speed of said pilot motor progressively varies in accordance with the progressive variation of the position of said floating control element throughout said range, a master controller, current sensitive means subject to the influence of the current in said circuit, and means whereby the position of said floating control element throughout said range depends jointly on the setting of said master controller and on said current-sensitive means.

2. An electric motor control system, comprising an electric motor, resistance, means for connecting said resistance in a circuit of said motor, a pilot motor for progressively cutting said resistance out of said circuit, a potentiometer through the medium of which said pilot motor is energized, said potentiometer having a control element whose setting determines the speed of said pilot motor, a master controller, current sensitive means subject to the influence of the current in said circuit, and means whereby the setting of said control element depends jointly upon the setting of said master controller and upon the value of the current in said circuit.

3. An electric control system, comprising an electric motor, resistance, means for connecting said resistance in a circuit of said motor, a pilot motor for progressively cutting said resistance out of said circuit, two contacts connected respectively to the terminals of said pilot motor, two potentiometer resistances connected in parallel across a source of potential, a potentiometer control element, said contacts being mounted on said potentiometer control element and being adapted, in response to unidirectional movement of said potentiometer control element to move in opposite directions over said potentiometer resistances and thereby vary the potential applied to said pilot motor, a master controller, current sensitive means subject to the influence of the current in said circuit, and means whereby the setting of said control element depends jointly upon the setting of said master controller and upon the response of said current sensitive means.

4. An electric motor control system, comprising an electric motor, resistance, means for connecting said resistance in a circuit of said motor. means for progressively cutting said resistance out of said circuit, a floating control element movable throughout a given range, means whereby the rate at which said last-named means out said resistance out of said circuit progressively varies in accordance with the progressive variation of the position of said floating control element throughout said range, a master controller, a resilient element which is stressed according to the setting of said master controller, current-sensitive means subject to the influence of the current in said circuit, said current-sensitive means comprising a part which is urged with a force depending upon the value of said current, and means whereby said floating control element is acted upon by said resilient element and said part in opposition, so that it takes up a position in said range at which said part and said resilient element balance one another.

5. An electric motor control system, comprising an electric motor, resistance, means for connecting said resistance in a circuit of said motor, means for progressively cutting said resistance out of said circuit, a floating control element movable throughout a given range, means whereby the rate at which said last-named means out said resistance out of said circuit progressively varies in accordance with the progressive variation of the position of said floating control element throughout said range, a master controller, a resilient element which is stressed according to the setting of said master controller, a winding connected across part of said circuit, an armature which is attracted by said winding with a force dependent on the current therein, and means whereby said floating control element is acted upon by said resilient element and said armature in opposition, so that it takes up a position in said range at which said armature and said resilient element balance one another.

JOHN BUNYAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

